The Star Late Edition
World Cup 2026 faces backlash over safety issues in the US
THE countdown to the 2026 World Cup has taken a troubling turn, with a tidal wave of fans from all corners of the globe allegedly cancelling their attendance amid safety concerns linked to US immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump, The...
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SA debates 30% pass mark as 2025 Matric results are released
WHILE Basic Education Minister Siviwe Gwarube commended parents and teachers for their dedication in supporting Grade 12 learners throughout the year, Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane has renewed calls for urgent systemic reform. The...
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Suspect arrested in R5.1m hijacked property case
A SUSPECT connected to an R5.1 million property in Bryanston that was unlawfully occupied and altered to house several people has been detained by the City of Johannesburg. Following years of lawlessness during which the occupants and the alleged...
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Legal battle to publish matric results
AFRIFORUM, which is a party in the court battle against the Information Regulator (IR) in the fight regarding the publication of matric results in newspapers, said it will strongly consider turning to court to obtain an urgent order for the results to...
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Lawyers group backs lifestyle audits for prosecutors
THE Black Lawyers Association (BLA) has backed the call from the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development (DJCD), Mmamoloko Kubayi, who has suggested mandatory lifestyle audits for all prosecutors to safeguard the integrity of the country’s...
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Why detention of Maduro should alarm Mzansi
A VENEZUELA-style operation on the continent is unlikely, but South Africa is still concerned about United States international behaviour. However, a caution is raised regarding Africa’s historical susceptibility to Washington-backed regime-change...
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2025: CHAOS, COURAGE, AND A LITTLE BIT OF ‘WOW’
AS 2025 draws to a close, South Africa finds itself in that familiar place, somewhere between disbelief, irritation, pride, and occasional awe. The year has thrown everything at the nation, from police corruption scandals and healthcare failures to...
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China achieves fruitful results in high-quality development during 14th Five-Year Plan period
By Ren Zhongping (People’s Daily) 08:22, October 22, 2025 The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) has started its fourth plenary session in Beijing on Oct. 20. The four-day meeting aims at studying the proposals for formulating...
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TRAGEDY STRIKES AS DOBSONVILLE HOUSE COLLAPSES
“WE HAVE nothing. It’s painful. I lost my mother, my sister, and my niece." These were the words of 25-year-old Zintle Xaba, whose life was shattered when she watched her home collapse before her eyes in the early hours of yesterday morning. “Right...
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CITY CRACKS THE WHIP ON ‘HIJACKED’ BUILDINGS
DESPITE a court order that had initially directed them to leave the building within 48 hours, residents of Clarendon Heights, a sectional title building in Hillbrow that has been described as “hijacked”, will be permitted to stay in their homes this...
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Proposed salary hike ‘morally indefensible,’ says MK Party
THE uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK Party) has strongly rejected a proposed 4.1% salary increase for public office bearers for the 2025 and 2026 financial year, describing it as unjustifiable and “morally indefensible.” The proposal, recommended by the...
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NO END TO GAUTENG DEADLY SHOOTINGS
GAUTENG is facing a worsening violent crime crisis, with the delayed release of first and second quarter crime statistics for 2025-2026 highlighting the scope of the problem. Every day on average, 63 people are murdered, as violent and organised...
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Two overloaded cross-border buses seized in crackdown
EARLY yesterday morning, a bus authorised to carry 65-seater passengers began its cross-border journey from Gauteng. Provincial traffic officers intercepted the bus and discovered it was overloaded by 11 passengers. The Star has copies revealing that...
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Honouring a fallen hero, Marius van der Merwe
IN A heartfelt tribute to her slain husband, Leanne van der Merwe, the wife of Marius van der Merwe, remembered her husband as a loving, caring father, and family superhero to his children. Van der Merwe, the former Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department...
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Investigation launched into DJ Warras’s murder
POLICE investigating the killing of Warrick Stock, popularly known as DJ Warras, say the primary suspect is a short man with dreadlocks. Video footage shows him approaching Warras as he was leaving Zambesi House in Johannesburg’s CBD and opening fire...
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Decision to classify Phala Phala report was ‘abuse of power’
THE Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s (IPID) investigation report into the conduct of members of the Presidential Protection Unit in relation to their involvement in the Phala Phala investigation should “never have been classified”. These...
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Mbalula leads early ANC presidential race
THE race to succeed President Cyril Ramaphosa as leader of the African National Congress (ANC) is heating up, with fresh polling and high-profile political maneuvers indicating an increasingly volatile field of contenders. This week’s ANC National...
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Cronje faces objection in battle for NPA leadership
LEGAL heavyweight Barnabas Xulu has formally objected to the possible appointment of Advocate Hermione Cronje as South Africa’s next National Director of Public Prosecutions, warning that her past conduct raises serious concerns about her suitability...
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Gwede Mantashe slams door on ANC top job speculation
ANC chairperson Gwede Mantashe says that he will not contest the party’s top position, saying he is “too old” as succession debates begin to surface within the party. This comes as senior ANC leaders start positioning themselves for key roles ahead of...
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R14m scandal: Uncovering South Africa’s Russia– Ukraine connection
SAFM presenter Nonkululeko Mantula and her co-accused – Xolani Ntuli, Sifiso Mabena, Siphamandla Tshabalala, and Thulani Mazibuko – appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court yesterday. They have all been granted bail after being accused of...
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CCTV footage shows Marius van der Merwe talking to his killers
CCTV footage shows Marius van der Merwe, “Witness D” at the Madlanga Commission, who was gunned down outside his Brakpan home this weekend, talking to his killers and attempting to draw his own weapon before he was killed. He was shot multiple times...
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ANC Gauteng urged to save ‘sinking ship’
ANC Gauteng provincial co-convenor Panyaza Lesufi has urged contenders for leadership positions in the Johannesburg region to stop fighting for control of what he described as a “sinking ship” and instead focus on resolutions to revive the...
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Parliament keeps matric pass rate at 30%
THE South African government continues to defend the low pass rate of 30% for “Bantu Education in the Modern Era,” which undermines the country’s entire educational system. This is according to Build One South Africa (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane, who...
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Parents who owe schools slated for costly lifestyle
MATOME Chiloane, Gauteng Education MEC, has expressed deep concern that some parents whose children attend fee-paying schools fail to pay school fees while spending money on expensive school transportation, trips, and driving luxury vehicles. Chiloane...
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Zuma’s fight over R28.9m legal fee
THE Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, was yesterday confronted with the question as to why former president Jacob Zuma should be held liable to repay the R28.9 million bill for his private legal fees, while he was an innocent party and the real wrongdoers...
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Epstein case cited as Teazers advert banned
WOMEN cannot be depicted as a benefit or prop of wealth or power, the Advertising Regulatory Board (ARB) said in banning an advertisement featuring a chief executive officer (CEO) surrounded by women, stating “the CEO’s second boardroom”. This follows...
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Effects of Trump’s sanctions on SA
PRESIDENT Donald Trump’s announcement that South Africa would not be invited to attend the G20 summit in 2026, as well as stopping payments and subsidies, is set to prove that the US has power and dominates the economy. These are the views of political...
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INSIDE ‘CAT’ MATLALA’S SAPS TESTIMONY
IN A heated session before the Ad Hoc Committee investigating corruption and crime syndicate infiltration within the South African Police Service (SAPS), businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala denied personal responsibility for a contentious R360 million...
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SA court to probe citizens serving in IDF
ALLEGATIONS that South African soldiers are unlawfully serving in the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) in the armed conflict in the Gaza Strip are due to come under the juristic spotlight in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria. The Applicants, Safoudien...
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Duduzile Zuma files affidavit against Russian ‘mercenary recruiter’
DUDUZILE Zuma Sambudla has declared under oath that she was not the mastermind behind a so-called mercenary recruitment programme to Russia, but rather the first victim of an elaborate deception that saw more than a dozen South Africans now feared to...
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SOUTH
African President Cyril Ramaphosa shared a light-hearted moment with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during bilateral talks on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit, joking about the challenges of hosting the global event. “Thank you for the...
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AKA’S SUSPECTED KILLERS EXTRADITED TO SOUTH AFRICA
AFTER two suspected killers were extradited from the Kingdom of Eswatini yesterday, Tony Forbes, the father of rapper Kiernan “AKA” Forbes, who was killed along with his friend Tebello “Tibz” Motsoane, expressed relief. Brothers Siyabonga and Malusi...
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‘Duduzile Zuma, a victim of political persecution’
THE State yesterday, during the trial of Umkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) member of Parliament, Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, alleged that the July 2021 civil unrest was well coordinated and instigated nationally. The trial was attended by Zuma-Sambudla’s...
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PRETORIA UNFAZED BY US G20 BOYCOTT
THE South African Government of National Unity (GNU) has expressed a resolute stance following US President Donald Trump’s announcement that no American government officials will attend the upcoming G20 summit in South Africa. Despite Trump’s...
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Mashatile’s bodyguards under fire for assault charges
THE Randburg Magistrate’s Court has dismissed the Section 174 discharge application brought by eight former bodyguards of Deputy President Paul Mashatile. The bodyguards had sought to have their assault charges dropped. However, Magistrate Abdul Khan...
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Mkhwanazi’s July 6 presser had me worried - Cachalia
ACTING Police Minister Firoz Cachalia yesterday said the press conference by KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on July 6 was unusual and had him worried. “His appearance before the public in full military regalia, armed and so forth...
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Car littered with bullets, but where is Brown Mogotsi?
THE South African Police Service (SAPS) yesterday morning said efforts to reach controversial businessman and political fixer Brown Mogotsi, who narrowly escaped an apparent hit in Vosloorus, east of Johannesburg, on Monday night, have been...
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HAS ‘SECRETIVE’ RETREAT UNITED GNU?
THE Presidency has confirmed that the “secretive” two-day retreat at the Cradle of Humankind, where President Cyril Ramaphosa urged leaders of the Government of National Unity (GNU) to strengthen cooperation, has concluded. The retreat, which brought...
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Goolam Vawda: A controversial player in ANC politics
CONTROVERSIAL social media user Goolam Vawda, who has been accused of cyberbullying and defaming politicians, including former Minister Lindiwe Sisulu and other prominent South Africans, is allegedly being used as a proxy to fight ANC factional...
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IPHC calls on Madlanga to probe Sibiya-Sandlana links
THE International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) wants the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry to hold controversial Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya accounatable for alleged interference in investigations linked to Bhekumuzi Gilbert Sandlana, the...
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Man accused of killing Mamelodi East cousins abandons bail
TEBOGO Mnisi, the 38-year-old arrested in connection with the murders of two young women in Mamelodi East, Pretoria, made his first appearance in the Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning. Mnisi is charged with the murder of cousins Tshiamo...
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Mbalula accused of meddling in Joburg’s ANC affairs
ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula is facing accusations of political interference in the City of Johannesburg’s administrative affairs and the internal processes of the party’s greater Johannesburg regional elective conference. Sources within the...
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Afrikaners go against Trump’s refugee offer
A STATEMENT from a collective of prominent Afrikaans-speaking South Africans has rejected a recent move by the US government to prioritise white South Africans for refugee status, labelling the underlying narrative as “dangerous and false”. This...
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Mchunu wanted to be president, Cele tells all
FORMER Police Minister Bheki Cele revealed before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee that Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala had told him that suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu sought funding for his presidential campaign. Cele’s testimony comes amid...
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Frustrated MPs accuse Mchunu of dishonesty
MEMBER of Parliament (MP) Dereleen James has voiced her frustrations with how her questioning of suspended Minister Senzo Mchunu went yesterday, feeling like he was unable to answer a simple question that she posed. James, from ActionSA, was the...
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How policy uncertainty fuels SA’s corporates to hoard R1.8 trillion
SOUTH Africa’s wealth and children’s futures are entirely different. The Institute of Race Relations (IRR) warns that the fact that non-financial firms hold a record of R1.8 trillion in cash while 21% of children under five suffer from malnutrition...
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SA’s class of 2025 faces exams amidst dropout crisis
THE class of 2025 is getting ready for their final matric exams today, and worries about South Africa’s persistent school dropout problem are very real. While over 715 000 learners are registered for this year’s exams, almost 450 000 have already left...
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Mbalula says sorry to Motsepe over presidential remarks
ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula has apologised to Patrice Motsepe over remarks he made in the past about the billionaire’s possible political ambitions for the presidency of the African National Congress. “When I spoke about Patrice Motsepe,...
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Truth behind Cyril’s link with Maumela
A NEIGHBOUR living on the exclusive Sandton street where Hangwani Maumela’s house was raided by the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) last week in connection with the R2 billion Tembisa Hospital scandal, claims that President Cyril Ramaphosa is a...
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Standard Bank’s debt practices unlawful
THE Supreme Court of Appeal has ruled that Standard Bank had bypassed the rules of the National Credit Act (NCA) when it used settlement agreements with a family trust to enforce its debts by obtaining an order that 14 immovable properties of the trust...
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‘Siyaya e-America’ as brilliant Bafana end 23-year World Cup hoodoo
THE South African men’s national football team, Bafana Bafana, enjoyed a rare favour from archrivals Nigeria last night as they ended a 23-year World Cup qualification hoodoo. Bafana pulled on the style, beating Rwanda 3-0 at Mbombela Stadium, as...
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How deadly N1 bus crash could have been avoided
SEVERAL fatal accidents have occurred in recent years near the ‘treacherous death trap’ on N1 near Louis Trichardt in Limpopo, where a bus crash claimed over 40 lives. Many questions have now been raised, with some observers arguing that improved...
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RAMAPHOSA DENIES TIES TO TEMBISA ‘LOOTING’ SUSPECT
PRESIDENT Cyril Ramaphosa’s spokesperson said a video showing him outside the posh Sandton home of Hangwani Maumela – a central figure in a massive corruption scandal involving the looting of over R2 billion from Tembisa Hospital – is purely...
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Ex-Bafana player Nomvethe on Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifiers
FORMER Bafana Bafana striker Siyabonga Nomvethe has urged Hugo Broos and his side to remain focused on their journey as they chase qualification for the 2026 Fifa World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by the US, Canada, and Mexico. South Africa...
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MKHWANAZI MAKES SHOCKING EXPLOSIVE SAPS ALLEGATIONS
DURING his testimony before the ad hoc committee looking into police criminality in Parliament yesterday, KZN Police Commissioner Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi kept making some astounding claims. Mkhwanazi revealed names of journalists who are allegedly...
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Claims of sabotage in Madlanga Commission
THE government has been accused of sabotaging the Madlanga Commission following remarks made by former chief evidence leader, advocate Terry Motau, regarding its inadequate budget. The commission last week confirmed that Motau had stepped down from...
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Can a television drug-buster rescue a failing metro?
ACTIONSA’s newly announced Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate, Xolani Khumalo, has identified several critical issues he plans to address if elected mayor. These include maladministration, the high crime rate, corruption, and pervasive drug problems within...
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How the Tembisa Hospital syndicates avoided detection
THE Special Investigating Unit (SIU) interim report has exposed how the syndicates bypassed standard tender processes to loot Tembisa Hospital of more than R2 billion. The investigation, prompted by the murder of whistleblower, Babita Deokaran, found...
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WAS NATHI MTHETHWA KILLED? FAMILY REJECTS SUICIDE CLAIMS
THE sudden death of South Africa’s Ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, has shocked the nation and ignited a wave of questions. Official reports suggest suicide, but his family is firmly rejecting that conclusion – insisting the former minister would...
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‘A LOT MORE WORSE IS GOING TO COME OUT’
DEPUTY chief of police at Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, Major-General Julius Mkhwanazi, has been fingered in a scandal involving businessman Vusi “Cat” Matlala for registering Matlala’s vehicles under the municipality and fitting them with...
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Legal team outlines commission’s mission to expose corruption
LEGAL team led by Adv. Terry Motau at the Madlanga Commission yesterday, laid bare the chilling allegations that have rocked the country’s justice system – claims of deep political interference, corruption, and criminal infiltration that, if proven...
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CYRIL SELLS THE ANC TO THE DA
THIS may be exactly what the Democratic Alliance (DA) has been waiting for: a public endorsement of its governance from ANC President Cyril Ramaphosa. In a stinging moment of honesty, Ramaphosa admitted this week that DA-led municipalities often...
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New legislation for Bolt and Uber sparks industry outrage
THE Department of Transport has officially gazetted the National Land Transport Amendment Act (NLTA), recognising Uber, Bolt, and other e-hailing platforms as part of South Africa’s public transport system. But rather than celebration, the move has...
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G20 SUMMIT: IS NASREC A HIT OR A MISS?
THE decision to select Nasrec as the venue for the upcoming G20 summit, rather than Sandton, has generated some controversy, with concerns raised about Nasrec’s suitability, with some calling it a “cold, industrial site” unfit to represent the country...
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R93 MILLION FOR WHAT? TIME TO TRIM THE CABINET
WHAT can R93 million a year achieve for this country? This question arose this week following an oral question session in the National Assembly. President Cyril Ramaphosa stated that deputy ministers play a critical role in assisting ministers with...
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Rubber bullets fired as Joburg’s water crisis gets worse
JOHANNESBURG’S escalating water crisis has sparked furious protests in Coronationville, forcing Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi to convene an emergency meeting with the mayor of Joburg as unrest spreads. Angry residents of Coronationville,...
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Court upholds ‘stay at home’ order for Shadrack Sibiya
THE stay-at-home order issued by Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola to Deputy National Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya was suitable, necessary and reasonable under the circumstances, the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria found in...
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Man confessed to killing ex-girlfriend under investigation for other GBV crimes
LAZARUS Lito Anthonio, a 26-year-old who has confessed to murdering his ex-girlfriend, is now under investigation by police for possible involvement in other cases of gender-based violence and femicide. Authorities believe he may be responsible for...
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NPA VS MASHATILE’S GUARDS: THE BATTLE CONTINUES
THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) will oppose the application by deputy president Paul Mashatile’s bodyguards to have assault and malicious damage to property charges against them withdrawn after being acquitted in an internal inquiry. Eight...
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‘Lesufi tapping into anti-migrant sentiment’
GAUTENG Premier and ANC leader Panyaza Lesufi's recent stance is perceived by political analysts as an attempt to attract voters with growing anti-migrant sentiments, echoing groups like Operation Dudula. This strategy comes as the ANC's support wanes...
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GAUTENG’S WEEK OF ROAD CARNAGE
GAUTENG has seen at least three separate accidents this week, resulting in the loss of fourteen lives. Yesterday, five people died in a devastating taxi crash after it overturned on the N1 North freeway in Midrand, leaving the community in shock and...
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Cashless economy could be key to curbing CIT robberies
AS SOUTH Africa’s ongoing cash-in-transit (CIT) robberies continue claiming innocent lives, proponents of a cashless economy are amplifying their voices. They argue that with fewer cash transactions, the amount of physical cash in circulation would...
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Joburg MMC’s tough stance on foreigner settlements
MLUNGISI Mabaso, the Johannesburg MMC for Human Settlements from the IFP, recently announced that his department will not use South African taxpayers’ money to service informal settlements primarily occupied by foreign nationals. This decision has...
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